A Phsychological Experiment
by Alexx18
Summary: "Die now or die later, that's your choice. Of course, burning alive is a slow and painful death, but I can promise you this: death by the joker is much slower, and much more painful." Batman faces the joker while allowing a 17 year old to live with him.
1. Chapter 1

"With more information on the joker's latest attack, here is Darby Kellon on the scene."

"Thank you Dave. I'm here in front of this devastated home which burnt to the ground in the early hours of the morning. Fire fighters got the call around 3am from neighbors of this unfortunate family.

"The bodies of Frank and Haley Evans were found in the rubble, but their daughter, Jenna, has yet to be found. Gotham police department has issued a request for anyone who believes to have seen this girl to immediately call 911. Jenna Evans is a junior at Gotham High School, 17 years old. Long brown hair. Hazel eyes, five feet, four inches. 110 pounds. Again, if you see this girl, notify the police immediately."

"Thank you, Darby. Now, we were told that the Gotham police department was immediately able to link this gruesome deed with the joker. How is that?"

"Well, Dave, I actually just got done speaking with commissioner Gordon about that. Seeing as the joker just escaped from the asylum a week ago, Gotham police department was on their toes, very aware that the joker could strike at any moment. That would already be one hint. However, the real giveaway was this," Darby held up a somewhat scorched joker card.

"Hundreds, possibly thousands of these joker cards were overflowing this crime scene when fire fighters arrived early this morning. The joker obviously wanted people to know that he committed this crime."

"Master Wayne."

Bruce turned away from the television and faced his butler, Alfred. He stood with a silver tray in his hands.

"Breakfast, sir?"

"Only if you join me, Alfred," said Bruce.

Alfred smiled, set the silver tray down, and sat in a chair across from Bruce. Bruce sighed and put his face in his hands. What now?

"You mustn't worry yourself so much, master Wayne, or your hair will be the same color as mine in a week," said Alfred, handing Bruce a plate of eggs, bacon, and toast.

"It's been a week and people are already dying," said Bruce, "a 17 year old girl even."

"She may still be alive," contradicted Alfred.

"Maybe, but it's doubtful. Besides, even if she is alive, she's lost everything. Her parents...slaughtered," said Bruce, looking at the television, which was now showing a picture of the missing girl.

"Well, master Wayne, something very similar happened to you, and I'd like to say you turned out alright."

Bruce smiled and said, "Yeah, but I had you."

Alfred laughed. "If only you learned to give yourself more credit."

That night, Bruce put on his gear and patrolled the city for a while, avoiding any police officers. He wore a headset which hacked in to the police radio, waiting for any major activity. Bruce spent the entire night on edge, jumping at any and every sound, waiting for the joker to strike. By 5am it became obvious that the joker had not planned anything for that night, and Bruce began to head home.

As Bruce glided from roof top to roof top, he caught a glimpse of a familiar pile of rubble. It was the house that had burnt to the ground only a little over 24 hours ago. There was crime scene tape around it, but no signs of Gotham police department. Bruce slowly stepped over the crime scene tape and observed the rubble. Everything was blackened, and barely anything seemed to have survived. Bruce saw what looked like the remains of a couch, a fireplace, and a few kitchen counters, but nothing else was the least bit recognizable.

Bruce looked down at his feet and growled with anger at what he saw. He knelt down and picked up the joker card, examining it. Bruce sighed and sat down. Looking around, he realized he was only a few miles from Wayne manor, which was still in the process of being rebuilt. Bruce removed his mask and looked around once more. He felt a pang in his stomach when he heard a voice.

"Holy shit! You're...you're Bruce Wayne."

Bruce stood up immediately, looking to where the voice came from. A girl stepped out from behind a garbage bin that had been brought to the site for clean-up. She had long brown hair, hazel eyes...wait.

"Are you...the missing girl?" asked Bruce.

"Yeah, although most people call me Jenna," said the girl sarcastically.

She had scrapes and burns all over, and looked as if she hadn't slept since the fire had taken place. Her hair was a tangled mess, her clothes were ripped, and she was covered in soot from head to toe. Bruce looked down at his mask, not knowing what to do. What was the point in putting it back on? He felt stupid.

"I need to take you to then police station," said Bruce.

"I'm not going there," said Jenna.

Bruce looked confused. Jenna rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"Well, it's my strength against yours, I'm afraid," said Bruce, and he scooped up the girl and threw her over his shoulder, putting his mask back on at the same time. Jenna began to kill and yell.

"No! Put me down! Now! Or I'll-"

"You'll what?" laughed Bruce as he walked away from the crime scene.

"I'll...I'll...I'll tell them who you are!"

Bruce stopped dead in his tracks. He couldn't go to prison. Especially not with the joker on the loose. He knew better. Bruce put Jenna back on her feet.

"Fine, but you have to promise that you won't tell anyone," said Bruce, not sure that a seventeen year old's word was enough anyway.

"I promise," said Jenna fervently.

Well, if she was lying she was thoroughly convincing.

"Where do you want me to take you, then?" asked Bruce.

Jenna's face formed a strange look of confusion and worry. Bruce's eyebrows furrowed underneath his mask.

"Is there a particular family member you'd like to go to?" he asked.

Jenna looked at the ground and said quietly, "I don't...I don't have any other family."

Bruce felt a pang in his stomach, knowing exactly how this girl felt. He swallowed a shook is emotions away.

"Then why won't you let me take you to the police station? They can help you."

"No they can't! All they can do is tell me it's going to be okay, even though it's not! Then they'll tell me they're going to catch him, even though they won't! And then they'll send me to some random foster parents until in graduate next year and I will NOT! I don't want to be in another family..."

Bruce had momentarily backed away from Jenna as she had burst with anger, but by the time she was finished speaking she was crying. Bruce had no idea what to do.

"Just leave me alone. I'm perfectly capable of fending for myself. Don't worry, I'm not going to tell anyone your stupid secret. No one would believe me anyway," said Jenna, and she turned away from Bruce, walked a few feet, and sat directly in the middle of the rubble that was once her home.

Bruce stared at Jenna's back, which was shaking as she cried. He had never seen it from the outside before. He could easily feel the pain that this girl was feeling, and he knew how horrible it was. People shouldn't have to feel that way. Bruce stood rooted to the spot, reliving his past, and suddenly remembered what he had to Alfred the previous morning. Before Bruce had even begun to register what he was thinking, his mouth opened and spoke the words the changed his life forever.

"You can come with me."


	2. Chapter 2

"M-Master Wayne? Isn't she-"

"Yeah, I'll talk to you about it later. For now, would you mind making her something to eat please? She hasn't eaten in a while."

Alfred nodded and slowly turned away, headed for the kitchen.

Bruce turned to Jenna, who was nervously looking around the luxurious penthouse. The situation was suddenly very awkward.

"After you eat Alfred will show you to the bathroom so you can wash up."

Jenna nodded and asked, "Um, what about clothes?"

"Oh, um...I'll see if I can find some old stuff for you to wear for the time being," said Bruce.

"Miss, I have some breakfast for you here," said Alfred, who had just reappeared.

Jenna nodded and Alfred led her to the kitchen. Hoping to sneak away, James headed for his bedroom. Only a few seconds later, however, Bruce heard someone clear his throat behind him. He sighed and turned around to face Alfred once more.

"Care to explain?"

When Bruce finished telling Alfred what had happened, there were several moments of silence before Alfred replied.

"So, what do you intend to do? You can't just keep her here."

"I know, I...I didn't think-"

"You didn't think very much at all, master Wayne. This girl is currently in high school. She probably has several friends worried sick, and none of them have any idea she's alive."

Bruce looked down, sighed, and said, "I don't plan to keep her here long. I just wanted to make sure she got some food, shelter, and rest."

"Then what?" asked Alfred.

"I don't know!" Bruce shouted.

Alfred looked at Bruce calmly, not frightened at all by his outburst.

"Sorry, I just...Look, I'll talk to her, okay?"

"Talk to me about what?'

Both Bruce and Alfred turned to see Jenna standing a few feet away from them. Bruce took a deep breath and began to speak.

"You need to tell me where you want to be taken. Is there a friend you'd like to stay with?"

Jenna shook her head, "I can't."

"Why not?"

"I just can't. Look, I don't have to stay here if you don't want me to, but I'm not going to the police or to any of my friends."

Bruce and Alfred both looked at Jenna with furrowed brows. Bruce was sick of her. What was up with this girl? He stood up angrily and grabbed his keys.

"Well, that sucks. Come on, we're going to the police station."

"Okay, sounds good. Then I can tell them who you really are," said Jenna, crossing her arms.

Bruce froze. How could he forget? He looked at Alfred for help, but he was just as stumped.

"Miss, why do you refuse even to go to one of your friends' homes?"

"It would put them in danger," Jenna's voice cracked as she said.

Bruce rolled his eyes and said, "How would y-"

"My parents were psychiatrists at the asylum. That's why...that's why...they're gone. The j...he went after me first, but they heard me scream. They saved me. He..."

Jenna was struggling to tell her story, constantly swallowing back the lump in her throat. Bruce and Alfred both watched her, eyes wide and faces solemn.

"He started to burn everything in his path, and then he...he k-killed them right in front of me. Then he..."

Jenna touched her side, an action that did not go unnoticed.

"He told me he wanted to conduct an experiment...a 'psychological' one. H-He thought it was hilarious. He told me he'd let me choose. I could either escape or...or burn to death. I began to stand up right away but he stopped me."

Jenna swallowed, and Bruce noticed a cut on her throat. He could vividly imagine the joker holding his knife there to prevent her from leaving.

"He told me that there was a catch. He said...if I escaped, he would get to me. He said he'd kill everyone in his way until he killed me. He...he...s-said..."

At this point, Jenna was shaking. She looked as if she had no intention of continuing. Bruce spoke for the first time.

"What did he say?"

"He...said...'Die now or die later, that's your choice. Of course, burning alive is a slow and painful death, but I can promise you this: death by the joker is much slower, and much more painful.' He l-laughed the whole time...and then he left. A-And I...I obviously chose...to live...f-for n-now."

Bruce slowly looked at Alfred, who was still watching Jenna, sorrow in his eyes.

"I c-can't go to a f-friend b-because he'll k-kill them. I can't..."

Bruce nodded in understanding, then looked around. Everything made sense now, but he still didn't know what to do. He examined Jenna, who was silently crying and looking at the ground. Could he do this? He had money, that wasn't a problem. There was an extra bedroom, so that was simple, too. She was seventeen, so she could easily take care of herself. It would have to do...for now.

"You'll stay here until the joker's back behind bars."

Bruce looked at Alfred, who nodded once in approval.

"Thank-"

Bruce held up a hand and said, "You don't need to thank me. Now, what did he do to you?"

Jenna did not pretend to misunderstand Bruce, and immediately lifted her shirt slighly. Underneath was some sort of gray wrapping which Bruce realized came from the left leg of the gray sweatpants Jenna was wearing. Blood was seeping through the material from beneath her rib cage, all the way down to where the gash must have stopped right before her belly button.

Bruce gasped. Jenna wasn't shaking because she was crying, she was shaking because she could barely stand. Her face was unnaturally pale, and her eyes were sagging from more than exhaustion. She'd lost far too much blood.

"Alfred."

"Grab her and follow me," said Alfred, and Bruce did as he was told.


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning, Bruce had turned his living room in to what looked like some sort of science lab. All sorts of tools and gadgets were laying around as he went back and forth between his lap top and whatever he was trying to build. Alfred walked in just as Bruce punched the floor in frustration.

"You're up early master Wayne, and looking particularly cheerful I must say," said Alfred.

Bruce sighed, ignoring Alfred's sarcasm.

"I just can't get this to work."

"What is it supposed to do?"

Bruce held up a tiny clip of some sort.

"I want to be able to pin this to any of your clothing, and be able to hear what you're saying even when you're miles away."

"So, a bug."

Bruce and Alfred both jumped at Jenna's sudden appearance. She was sitting in large recliner in the far corner of the room.

"Where did you come from?" asked Bruce.

"Oh, I've been in here for hours. I couldn't sleep."

Bruce stared at her. How did he not notice her come in? His thoughts were interrupted by Alfred.

"Why not ask Mr. Fox, sir? Surely he already has a similar device that you can use."

"Fox is on vacation, and I promised him I would not bother him while he's gone. He's actually already given me something like this but...I broke them a while back," said Bruce sheepishly.

Alfred gave Bruce a look.

"You try falling from a five story building and not breaking a few things," said Bruce.

Alfred laughed.

Bruce sighed and said, "I've been trying to duplicate them, but they just won't work properly."

"Because you're doing it wrong," said Jenna from her corner.

Jenna stood up slowly, careful to avoid any pain from her gash, which was now stitched neatly. She walked over to Bruce's messy work space and picked up one of the devices Bruce had been working on. Bruce started to say something but Jenna cut him off.

"Do you want them to work or not?" she snapped.

Bruce looked thoroughly taken aback and confused, but let her continue. Minutes later, Jenna spoke.

"Test."

"Test."

Bruce jumped as he heard Jenna's voice echo.

"There," said Jenna with a smile.

She then handed Bruce his new devices and began to walk away.

"How did you..."

"I don't really know. I've always been good with that kind of thing. It's been a mixture of taking a few classes and teaching myself."

Bruce looked slightly irritated as he spoke again.

"These may only work a short distance. We don't know their potential," said Bruce.

"The bug could be on the complete opposite side of Gotham, and the receiver would still catch every sound. I can promise you that. But if you want to test it, feel free," said Jenna, sitting back down.

Bruce looked from the device in his hand and back to Jenna again.

"Why did you even come down here?"

"I could sleep," said Jenna, shrugging.

"How long were you sitting there again?"

"I came in as you brought those in here," said Jenna, pointing at Bruce's extra toolboxes.

"So...you were in here for about five hours. Why didn't you tell me you knew how to do this sooner?"

Jenna smiled and said, "I was having way too much fun watching you struggle."

Alfred laughed and said, "Master Wayne, I'm going to enjoy her company."

Bruce rolled his eyes and began to clean up his mess. Alfred helped him do so and after an hour or so they were finished.

"Breakfast, master Wayne, miss Jenna?" asked Alfred.

The two of them turned to look at Jenna, who was curled up and sound asleep in the recliner.

* * *

><p>"What do you plan to do?" asked Alfred has he grabbed orange juice from the fridge.<p>

"I really don't have much of a plan yet, Alfred. I have to find him first. I don't know how I'm going to do that, either."

Alfred nodded and began to eat across from Bruce.

"I need to lure him out somehow. Get him out in the open. Or maybe not even that. I just need him alone with me," said Bruce.

"Interesting," said Alfred.

When Bruce looked at him questioningly, Alfred said, "The terminology you used. You said you need to lure him out, which implies the use of some kind of bait."

Bruce looked at Alfred for a moment before he realized what he was suggesting. Just as Bruce was about to voice his thoughts on the matter, the two men heard a bloodcurdling scream from the living room. Bruce dove over the the table and beat Alfred to the door, which he wrenched open as he prepared for the worst.


End file.
